Vehicle fender

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to a rescue device adapted to be attached to a car body, and comprising a net stretched over a frame which is foldably and vertically slidably attached to the front of the car body and elastic means for unfolding said net to spread it out in front of the car body.

United States Patent 11 1 Wakabayashi'et a1. 1 1 Aug, 7, 1973 1 1VEHICLE FENDER 545,186 8/1895 Andrews 293/45 545,908 9/1895 Parmenter293/60 [76] Inventors i f 765,067 7 1904 Derx 293/45 i NlshlrokugoiT981110 Kat", 894,357 7/1908 Wehn... 293/40 Kashlwagl, both of 897,6589/1908 Rebar 293/41 Tokyo; Michio Kawabe, 2341 1,386,308 8/1921 Bedaux293/41 X Isurumi-cho, Yokohama; Nobumi 1,407,881 2/1922 Nordnes.. 293/27X Kawai, 2-13, 2-ch0me, Ebis, Tokyo; 1,431,117 10/1922 Israel 293/60Minor" [shida Shirahata Urawa 1,447,061 2 1923 1311411.... 293 41 x a ofJapan 1,488,551 4/1924 Panza 293/27 [22] Filed: July 27 1972 FOREIGNPATENTS 0R APPLICATIONS 259,859 10/1926 Great Britain 293/38 1 1 pp275,892 368,232 2 1939 Italy Related Application Data 369,275 3/1932Great Britain 293/40 [63] Continuation of Ser. No. 146,031, May 24,1971, Primary Examiner cerald M Foflenza abandoned.

Asszstant ExammerHoward Beltran 52 ms. c1 293/3s, 293/15, 293/50,Ammekmeph Brsebms 293/64 51 1111. C1..... B60r 19/06, 860T 21 14, 1361f19/06 [571 ABSTRACT [58] Field of Search 293/15, 16, 27, 28, Thisinvention relates to a rescue device adapted to be 293/29, 38, 39, 40,41, 42, 43, 45, 46, 50, 60, attached to a car body, and comprising a netstretched 64 over a frame which is foldably and vertically slidablyattached to the front of the car body and elastic means [56] ReferencesCited for unfolding said net to spread it out in front of the car UNITEDSTATES PATENTS dyv 537,597 4/1895 Astruck 293 43 x 3 Claims, 7 DrawingFigures PAIENIED RUB 7 73 SHEEI 2 0F 2 FIGS VEHICLE FENDER Thisapplication is a continuation of our copending application Ser. No.146,031, filed May 24, 1971, now abandoned.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a rescue deviceattached to a car body.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a rescue device whichcan be quickly spread out in front of the car body in an emergency,thereby preventing a person from being thrown up onto the car body orrun over by the car. i I

Another object of this invention is to provide a rescue devicecomprising a net-stretching frame, which is normally held up and fixedin a bent position so as not to hamper the operation of the car andwhich is released from this position and falls, when the net is to bespread out, until the bottom of said frame hits the ground, at the sametime that said frame is unfolded. The release from the fixed position iseffected by two holding means which act simultaneously. 7

Other objects of this invention will be apparent from a reading of thefollowing description of one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a side view of a car with a rescue device according to thisinvention attached thereto;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the same car; 7

FIG. 3 shows the rescue device according to this invention beingunfolded;

FIG. 4 is a rear oblique view showing the relationship between the frameand its holding means;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line /V of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 illustrates the relationship between the frame and the net; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view showing the hook holding the frames bentback over the hood.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 6, a pair of elastic frames 1, 2 are pivotallyconnected near the bottom. Between the ends 3 and 4 and between theother ends 5' and 6 of these frames strong elastic means 7, 8 such ascoilsprings or rubber bands are stretched, and a net 9 is stretchedbetween said elastic means 7, 8. As indicated in FIG. 6, said elasticmeans are wrapped in a cylinder 10 of stiff cloth and the net 9 is sewnfirmly to this cylinder.

It is desirable to use a highly elastic material for the net 9. A weight22 is attached to the lower end of the frames. The pivot 11 of theframes 1, 2 is provided by a bolt 14 vertically slidable in thelongitudinal slot 13 of the support member 12 which is fixed to somepart of the car body, as for example, the bumper. A hollow bolt 15 ismounted at the top of the support member 12 and a stop pin 15 is seatedin and projects forwardly from this bolt. The stop pin is connected by awire 17 to the seat in the car. The frames 1, 2 have holes l8, 19, whichregister with each other when the frame members are brought closer toeach other against the resistance of elastic means. When these holes l8,19 come to a position opposite to the pin 16 in the support member 12,the stop pin 16 is inserted into these holes 18, 19 and, as shown inFIG. 5, the frames are then held in a contracted state by the pin 16.This state corre- 6 sponds to the position in which the pivot of theframes comes to its uppermost position in the slot in the support member12.

The support member 12 is attached by tying its protruding arms 20, 20 tothe bumper 21 with a wire or the like. The frames thus mounted are bentback over the hood by virtue of their elasticity and are kept bent byengaging the upper end of a hook 24, pivotally attached to the hood, inthe ring 23 attached to one of the frames. The bottom end of the hook 24is attached to the wire 17. When the wire 17 is pulled toward the seat,the hook is tilted forward, thereby disengaging the ring 23 and at thesame time withdrawing the pin 16.

In order to keep the net in position when the frames are folded up, itis advisable to wrap the frames in a bag made of a waterproof materialwhich tears easily, such as a thin sheet of polystyrene.

While in actual practice only ordinary passenger cars have been equippedwith the device according to the invention, it goes without saying thatthe device is applicable to other types of vehicles, such as buses,trucks.

I If a pedestrian suddenly appears in the path of a car, the driverpulls the wire 17. Then, the hook is disengaged from the ring and at thesame time the stop pin drops out of the holes of the frames. Then theframes, being unfolded by the action of theelastic means, fall down andthe net is spread out in front of the car. A pedestrian lying on theroad will be prevented from being IUIIOVEI' by the car. f

If he is standing, he will be elastically received on the hood of thecar by means of the frames. As he is caught by the net, he may be ableto grip the net so that the possibility of his being thrown off the hoodto his death will be minimized.

What is claimed is:

l. A rescue device for attachment to a car body, comprising:

a. mounting means adapted to be attached to the bumper in front of thecar body and having a vertical slot;

b. a pair of elastic frames pivotally attached to each other by pivotmeans slidably mounted in the slot in said mounting means;

c. first elastic means stretched between one end of one frame and oneend of the other frame and second elastic means stretched between theremaining ends of said frames;

d. a net stretched between said elastic means;

e. means for holding said frames together; and

f. means for releasing said holding means.

2. A rescue device as claimed in claim 1, which also comprises secondholding means for holding the upper end of said frames in a bentposition with said pivot means near the top of said slot,'and means forreleasing said second holding means from its holding position.

3. A rescue device for attachment to an automobile having a frontbumper, said device comprising:

a. mounting means adapted tobe attached to said front bumper;

b. a pair of elastic frames pivotally attached to each other by pivotmeans mounted in said mounting means;

c. first elastic means stretched between one end of one frame and oneend of the other frame and second elastic means stretched between theremaining ends of said frames;

d. a net stretched between said elastic means;

e. means for holding said frames together; and

f. means for releasing said holding means.

K i i

1. A rescue device for attachment to a car body, comprising: a. mountingmeans adapted to be attached to the bumper in front of the car body andhaving a vertical slot; b. a pair of elastic frames pivotally attachedto each other by pivot means slidably mounted in the slot in saidmounting means; c. first elastic means stretched between one end of oneframe and one end of the other frame and second elastic means stretchedbetween the remaining ends of said frames; d. a net stretched betweensaid elastic means; e. means for holding said frames together; and f.means for releasing said holding means.
 2. A rescue device as claimed inclaim 1, which also comprises second holding means for holding the upperend of said frames in a bent position with said pivot means near the topof said slot, and means for releasing said second holding means from itsholding position.
 3. A rescue device for attachment to an automobilehaving a front bumper, said device comprising: a. mounting means adaptedto be attached to said front bumper; b. a pair of elastic framespivotally attached to each other by pivot means mounted in said mountingmeans; c. first elastic means stretched between one end of one frame andone end of the other frame and second elastic means stretched betweenthe remaining ends of said frames; d. a net stretched between saidelastic means; e. means for holding said frames together; and f. meansfor releasing said holding means.